2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO AN INTERNAL SPRING FRACTURING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V011001 (POWER TRAIN). THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO SERVICE CAMPAIGN AND RECALL TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A TUNE UP AND THE FAILURE CODES FOR P0301, P0401, AND THE EGR APPEARED. THE CODES WERE CLEARED, BUT THE P0301 FAILURE CODE REAPPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN IN FOR SMOG INSPECTION AND FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED FOR EGR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN REPAIRED THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO A DEALER BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 315,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY AND STRUCK THE CONTACT ON THE BRIDGE OF HER NOSE, BREAKING HER GLASSES. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND REPOSITIONED THE SUN VISOR BACK ON THE CLIPS. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V338000 (AIR BAGS) DID NOT INCLUDE THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

WHILE DRIVING FROM THE HIGHWAY ON AN OFF RAMP AT 50 MPH, ENGINE (RPM) STARTED BOGGING DOWN, THEN BOTH FRONT TIRES LOCKED UP TO A SCREECHING HALT. I ALMOST SLIDE OFF THE RAMP AND ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME. FRONT TIRES WERE LOCKED UP, WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF THE ROAD AND WOULD NOT COME OUT OF GEAR. HAD IT TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP AND WAS QUOTED $3,000 JUST TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION FOR DIAGNOSTICS. WAS TOLD TRANSMISSION FAILED AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE MONEY TO FIX BECAUSE FRONT STRUT TOWERS BOTH WERE RUSTED. HAD VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND I WILL TRY TO PERFORM THE REPAIR MYSELF. *TR

THE FUEL FILLER NECK RUSTS SEVERELY AROUND THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE CAUSING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL TO LEAK ON THE GROUND AND GASOLINE VAPORS TO ESCAPE. THE FILLER NECK ASSEMBLY IS CONSTRUCTED OUT OF METAL AND INCLUDES A LARGE TUBE/PIPE FOR THE FUEL TO ENTER THE GAS TANK, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER SMALLER METAL PIPES. THE FILLER NECK ASSEMBLY EXTENDS FROM THE FILLER DOOR, WHICH IS SITUATED IN THE REAR PASSENGER QUARTER PANEL, DOWN AND ACROSS TO THE FUEL TANK WHICH IS SITUATED IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THERE IS A PARTICULAR POINT WHERE THE PIPES IN THE ASSEMBLY MAKE AN APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREE BEND, MOVING FROM A DOWNWARD ANGLE TO AN ANGLE THAT IS MORE PARALLEL WITH THE GROUND. AT THIS BEND OR ELBOW, THE MANUFACTURER PLACED A THICK METAL SHIELD, PRESUMABLY TO PROTECT A WEAK POINT. THE SHIELD BOLTS TO THE BODY OF THE CAR IN FOUR PLACES AND CUPS THE FUEL PIPES IN A SEMI-CIRCLE AROUND THE BEND LEAVING AN APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF INCH GAP BETWEEN THE PIPES AND THE SHIELD. THIS SHIELD AND PIPE ASSEMBLY IS SITUATED DIRECTLY BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY INBOARD OF THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE, HOWEVER, IT REMAINS EXPOSED. BECAUSE OF THE GAP BETWEEN THE PIPES AND THE SHIELD, AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE SHIELD IS ANGLED UPWARDS, AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO COVER OR OTHER PROTECTIVE DEVICE TO SEAL THIS GAP, THE SHIELD COLLECTS DIRT, DEBRIS, GREASE, AND MOISTURE. PRESUMABLY, THE REAR TIRE THROWS THIS FOREIGN MATERIAL AROUND WHICH THEN COLLECTS IN THE SHIELD, BUILDS UP, AND CONTACTS THE PIPES, CAUSING THEM TO RUST. EVENTUALLY THE PIPES RUST COMPLETELY THROUGH CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK ON THE GROUND WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS REFUELED. THE HOLES IN THE PIPES ALSO ALLOW GASOLINE VAPORS TO ESCAPE AND IMPAIRS THE EVAP SYSTEM. DESPITE THE BUILDUP AND CONTINUAL CONTACT OF FOREIGN MATERIAL IN THE SHIELD, THE SHIELD ITSELF DID NOT RUST AT ALL CREATING A PERFECT COLLECTOR TO GATHER FOREIGN MATERIAL AND CAUSE THE RUST TO FORM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT TO START AND EXHIBITED AN OVERPOWERING GASOLINE ODOR. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE STARTED, IT WOULD SPUTTER AND STALL SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 3, 2011 I WAS INVOLVED IN A WRECK, SLAMMING INTO A CHEVROLET COBALT WHICH WAS LATER CITED FOR FAILURE TO YIELD. I WAS DRIVING A 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE GT CONVERTIBLE AT THE POSTED SPEED OF 45 MPH. I SLID APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET BEFORE HITTING THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR OF THE COBALT. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, OR EVEN AFTERWARD FOR THAT MATTER. THE FRAME IN THE FRONT IS BENT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN ITS PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT, AND IS BEING FOUND AS A TOTAL LOSS. I PLAN ON PURSUING LEGAL ACTION BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY MAKING OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

THE HEADLIGHT PLUG BURNED THE CONNECTION. THIS RESULTED IN A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF LIGHT OUTPUT/ NO HEADLIGHTS. THE PLASTIC PLUG IS ALSO MELTED, CAUSING A CONCERN FOR FIRE AND APPEARING THAT A SMALL FIRE MAY HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

ON 2/21/10 EARLY SUNDAY MORNING I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROX. 55MI/HR WHEN MY MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE JUST STOPPED. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS. THERE WAS NO NOISE OR SOUND OF ANY KIND TO INDICATE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND SAT THERE FOR 3 1/2 HRS FOR A TOW TRUCK. CAR WAS TAKEN TO SOUTH PARK MITSUBISHI IN BETHEL PARK. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR HAD ONLY 57183 MILES AND I WANTED THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO AAMCO. I READ ON LINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION USED IN MY CAR AND ALSO CERTAIN CHRYSLER MODELS WITH A DEFECTIVE "WAVE SPRING" THAT BREAKS SUDDENLY AND CAUSED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE TRANSMISSION. I ASKED AAMCO TO SAVE ALL BROKEN PARTS. THE WAVE SPRING BROKE, WENT THROUGH THE PUMP, AND BROKE THE GEARS JUST AS DESCRIBED IN THE ARTICLE "MITSUBISHI F4A51 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAZARD PROBLEM". THIS PROBLEM WAS WELL KNOWN BY MITSUBISHI BECAUSE THE WAVE SPRING WAS REDESIGNED BUT TOOK NO ACTION TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF THE HAZARD THAT EXISTED. BY SWAPPING OUT A REBUILT TRANSMISSION, THE MITSUBISHI DEALER DOES NOT MAKE THE CUSTOMER AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND JUST ASSUMES THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD AND NEEDED REPLACED THEREFORE NOT MAKING THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WELL KNOWN. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND HAD THE PART REPLACED WITH THE NEW DESIGNED WAVE SPRING. THIS ACTION WOULD HAVE SAVED ME A LOT OF MONEY AND NOT PUT MYSELF AND OTHERS IN DANGER OF HARM OR DEATH. MITSUBISHI KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND DID NOTHING, THEY NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ERROR AND MAKE OTHER OWNERS AWARE SO THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. THEY CAN NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CLAIM THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A JUST WEAR AND TEAR CASE. IT IS A DEFECT AND I WANT OTHER OWNERS OF CARS WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART NOTIFIED AND MY EXPENSES REIMBURSED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. HE WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS CONTAMINATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 106,000.